The Machine Shed scores highly for a homey, farmhouse-style setting, but the pancakes could use some help around the house.

Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted by delicious aromas, a cooler with attractive homemade cakes, and an interesting “general store” of merchandise to peruse while waiting for a seat, if the restaurant is busy. On this particular Sunday morning, I didn’t have to wait long.

The breakfast/brunch menu selection is extensive, and this includes a buffet for around $12. Unfortunately, the buffet did not feature pancakes; however, it did have chewy, rubbery French toast sticks and dry waffles. On the plus side, you can choose from custom tortillas, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy, a small salad bar, corn, mini eclairs, and empanadas. I tried the bread pudding with high hopes but it was barely lukewarm. Yuck.

The breakfast menu offers many hearty and meaty options, including potatoes, bacon, sausage, etc. On the sweeter side, pancakes, French toast, waffles, and cinnamon rolls are offered.

When ordering pancakes from the menu, you can choose between buttermilk pancakes, pecan pancakes, or blueberry pancakes. If you’re interested, you can try Machine Shed’s special apple cider syrup. A small stack of pancakes costs less than $5.

My pancakes arrived without syrup, but it was brought to me a minute or two later, along with butter. The pancakes were big and thick, about 6 or 7 inches in diameter. Nice and hot, the pancakes quickly soaked up both the butter and syrup. However, the first and second bites revealed a somewhat disappointing pancake. It seemed dry and a bit hard, as if the batter had been over mixed and the pancake had been overcooked (in fact, one side looked quite dark). Tasting the pancake without syrup, it was very cookie-like, really no sweetness at all.

The restaurant itself has a family atmosphere with old country/farm tool decor. The drinking glasses were Mason jars! Checkered cloth napkins were a nice touch. The metal water jug ​​could use a better spout: it’s so wide, with no trench, that all the ice cold water threatens to spill out when you tip it. (Yes, you pour your own water.) If you ask for orange juice, this also comes in a Mason jar. (The juice is very slightly pulpy, but refreshing.)

Bottom line, there are plenty of hearty, meaty breakfasts on offer, and perhaps these foods are more of a Machine Shed specialty than pancakes. I didn’t finish the pancakes, I didn’t take them home, and I wouldn’t visit the machine shed again for pancakes. You get a lot of food for the price, but the quality could be better.